Food product machine



March 21, 1961 -mo 2,975,741

FOOD PRODUCT MACHINE Filed 001;. 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 28 \Qaf/l/II/A 3 2 2 5 5 5 a 3/6 /6 9 3a g2 Gabriel 6. Ruff/n0 IN V EN TOR.

March 21, 1961 Filed Oct. 9, 1956 G. G. RUFFINO FOOD PRODUCT MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Gabriel 6. Ruff/n0 INVENTOR.

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FOOD PRODUCT MACHINE Gabriel G. Ruflino, 132 /2 N. Soto St., Los Angeles33, Calif.

This invention relates to appliances to facilitate the production offood products and more particularly to an appliance for aiding in makingcertain fried or baked products.

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance for makingtortillas, tacos, tostadas, fritos, enchiladas, quesadillas etc. ofuniform size, thickness and weight whereby a more uniform product isobtained and whereby the cooking time, temperatures, etc. may be moreeasily and evenly calculated.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an appliance onwhich to accommodate the tortilla or other food product dough afterwhich it is formed on a tinfoil, aluminum foil or other film ofanalogous material in the proper shape and size.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an appliance withmeans to cut the foil to shape, this being automatic in the shaping ofthe dough to the proper size.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of an appliance which is I constructed inaccordance with the invention, this appliance having a cutter whichautomatically severs the metal foil which is finally arranged beneaththe food product;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the 7 initial step inthe operation and use of the appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the second step whichis to be taken;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the third step;

Figure 5 is a sectional view showing the completed tortilla which isready to be cooked after separation from the appliance of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a part of a modification of theappliance;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a ring which is used in the secondembodiment of the invention;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the base used in connection with theparts in Figures 6 and 7;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the second embodimentof the invention which is ready to receive the dough;

Figure 10 is the same type ofsectional view as Figure 9 but showing asecond step in the operation;

Figure 11 is a longitudinal sectional view as in Figure 10 but showing afurther step; and

Figure 12 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating the finishedproduct which is in readiness for cooking.

In the accompanying drawings there are two appliances, each of whichdemonstrates the principles of the invention. The embodiment of Figures1-5 differs from the embodiment of Figure 6 principally in that thefirst United States Patent 0 2,975,141 Pal:ented Mar. 21, 1961 'iceembodiment has a cutter which is used to sever the tinfoil, aluminumfoil or other metal backing for the food product. In Figure 1 there isan appliance 10 which has a base panel 12 with an upstanding disk 14. Aring 16 of rather hard plastic for example, polystyrene or nylon orothers, is around the periphery of disk 14 and forms an anvil forcylindrical cutter 18. An intermediate plate 26 is connected by hinge 21to the edge of base 12 and for convenience there is a handle 24protruding from one edge thereof. Central, circular aperture 26 isformed in plate 20 and is of a dimension to fit over the ring 16. Afinal part of the appliance is upper plate 28 which is connected by a:hinge 29 to the plate 20 and which has a downwardly opening recess 32therein forming an excess dough pocket. The cylindrical cutter 18 isfixed, as by fasteners 36 to the inside surface of the circular aperture33 in plate 28. The cylindrical cutter depends through recess 32 and isadapted to be brought against the upper surface of ring 16 functioningas the previously mentioned anvil.

In use the base 12 is placed on a supporting surface, for example-on atable. A sheet 40 of .tinfoil, aluminum foil or other analogous materialis placed over the upper surface of disk 14 and over the anvil 16. Thenthe former plate 20 is brought down so that the opening 26 therein foldsthe edges of the sheet 40 down around the cylindrical surface of thering 16. Thereafter a quantity of dough 41 made in accordance withculinary recipes, is placed over the sheet 40. Finally, the upper platehaving cutter i8, is brought down so that the cutter 18 has its cuttingedge on the upper surface of collar 16 (Fig. 4), which functions as ananvil. At this time the excess dough is severed from the dough 41 and isreceived in the excess dough recess 32 (Figure 4). -At the same time thesheet 40 is severed in a perfect circle or other shape depending on theshape of the parts, leaving the tortilla 48 or other food product whichis made in this way.

Attention is now invited principally to Figures 612. This embodimentconsists of a base plate 60 having an upstanding disk 61 integraltherewith or otherwise joined thereto. The sheet 62 of tinfoil, aluminumfoil or an equivalent material is first precutand placed on the topsurface of the disk 61. Then collar 63 is placed on the disk 61, thiscollar having an inner cylindrical surface 64 which fits snugly on theouter cylindrical surface of the disk 61. -An inwardly directed flange66 is at the upper part of collar 63 and overlies the periphery of thesheet 62. Thereafter the dough 67 is placed on sheet 62 and within theconfines of the collar 63.

The next step is to utilize the top plate 70. This top plate 70 has atop Wall 71 with a cylindrical wall 72 extending from the peripherythereof. This cylindrical wall has a sharp cutting edge 73 which fitsbetween the inner surface of flange 66 and the dough 67 on sheet 62. Airholes 75 and 76 are formed in the top wall 71 of the upper plate so asto avoid the formation of vacuum which would be caused when the'topplate is withdrawn suddenly. After inserting the plate having thecutting edge 73 in this manner, the top plate 70 is removed leaving afood product 80 shaped as in Figure 12, this food product beingautomatically backed by means of the precut sheet 62.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in making tortillas, tacos and other similar food products,an appliance comprising a base, a disk rising from said base, a collarsurrounding said disk and functioning as an anvil, said disk and saidanvil adapted to support a film of metal foil with dough depositedthereon, a former plate having an opening of slightly larger size thansaid collar and adapted to be brought in superposition to said base withsaid disk and anvil passed through said opening to thereby fold saidfoil around the sides of said anvil, and a cutter adapted to be broughtdown on said anvil to sever the dough to shape and size and to sever thefoil on the upper surface of said anvil.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein said anvil is made of plasticmaterial and said cutter is cylindrical and has a cutting edge adaptedto be brought against the plastic anvil when severing said foil.

' 3. An appliance to facilitate making foil backed food products, saidappliance comprising a base provided with an upper surface, an upwardlyextending member rising from said upper surface of said base, thesurface of said member adapted to accommodate a sheet of foil on which aseverable food substance may be placed, a plate movably related to saidbase and having an opening into which said member enters when said plateis moved onto the base and by which the edge portions of the foil arebent, a second plate, means movably relating said second plate to saidfirst mentioned plate, anvil forming means at the peripheral part ofsaid member, a cutter carried by said second plate and engageable withsaid anvil forming 4 means to sever the edges of the food substance onthe foil and to sever the edge portions of the foil to thereby separatethe bent portions of the foil from the remainder of the foil that restson said member on said base.

4. The appliance of claim 3 wherein said second plate has a surfaceadjacent to said first plate and a recess opening therethrough whichconfronts said first plate and which is located outwardly of said cutterto admit the excess food substance which is severed by said blade.

5. The appliance of claim 3 wherein there are hinges connecting saidbase to said first mentioned plate and said first mentioned plate tosaid second plate respectively thereby hingedly connecting said base andboth of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 25,767Shrote Oct. 11, 1859 216,729 Edmands June 24, 1879 789,485 Burry May 9,1905 1,228,288 Bower May 29, 1.917 1,757,447 Comstock May 6, 19301,959,011 Trompeter May 15, 1934 2,054,756 Kremer Sept. 15, 19362,147,098 Humphrey Feb. 14, 1939 2,225,710 Norris Dec. 24, 19402,415,788 Champer Feb. 11, 1947 2,803,202 Schafer Aug. 20, 1957

